Chapter 10 Blood Orchid of the Breath of Earth ⑧ A Shovelful of Kindness for a Child...
Boom—!
Before Brother Long's vicious voice had faded, a muffled yet extremely powerful explosion suddenly came from afar!
The deafening roar shook the silent valley, and even the ground beneath everyone's feet trembled.
"What's going on?"
"Brother Long! Something terrible has happened!" A subordinate staggered over, holding a drone control panel. "Someone has blown up our vehicles and camp!"
The scene showed flames soaring into the sky, with thick black smoke billowing upwards.
"Damn it!!" Brother Long roared, veins bulging on his forehead. "You two! Keep a close eye on him! If he gets away, I'll skin you alive! The rest of you, come with me!"
After he finished shouting, he led his men and charged menacingly toward the direction of the explosion.
The mass grave suddenly fell silent, leaving only two muscular burly men staring smirkingly at the remaining little Karami—the unconscious Chen Zigui, Wu Yang who had fallen into the pit, Lan Shuyin kneeling, and the young man who appeared later.
"You, go there!"
Faced with the harsh reprimands, the latter sighed helplessly, but there was little genuine fear in his sigh. He knelt down next to Lan Shuyin as instructed, and even slightly rolled up his sleeves.
Noticing the gaze directed at him, the young man turned his head to look.
He didn't seem to recognize Lan Shuyin, and shrugged helplessly, "I didn't check the almanac before going out today, what bad luck..."
His voice was like that of someone immersed in hot spring water, clear and gentle yet with a touch of humor.
Lan Shuyin snapped back to her senses, her long eyelashes drooping slightly as she quickly concealed the shock on her face.
It was him.
The passersby who bumped into her on the street and politely reminded her, the kind-hearted person in the video who spoke with profound meaning, have now become lost hikers who have stumbled into a mass grave?
Three encounters, three completely different identities and situations.
To call it a coincidence would be an overstatement.
Lan Shuyin couldn't think of anything about herself that would make others go to such lengths to design something similar to her.
After a few moments of hesitation, she finally suppressed her doubts and naturally took over the conversation, saying, "Today's almanac says everything will go smoothly, so there's no point in looking at it."
He was surprised, "Are you a young person? You still have the habit of consulting the almanac."
"You two, who gave you permission to whisper to each other?!"
The guard standing nearby suddenly shouted a reprimand.
His gaze swept over the young man, then landed on Lan Shuyin's face, almost as if he could see a hole through her.
Lan Shuyin felt uneasy under that gaze, but then she saw the man suddenly frown and ask in a deep voice, "Are you really the stepmother of Boss Wei of Ni Changye?"
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but the moment I finished speaking, the casual and lazy gaze beside me inexplicably became somewhat interested.
Lan Shuyin calmly retorted, "Why would I need to lie to you?"
The guard seemed taken aback by the question. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his voice and pressed on, "Ni Changye, are you also interested in the Blood Orchid?"
Lan Shuyin didn't answer immediately. She leaned forward slightly, giving him an expression that was a mixture of mystery and caution. She beckoned him very gently, as if to whisper a crucial secret in her ear.
The guard's vigilance had already largely relaxed, and driven by intense curiosity, he subconsciously bent down and brought his head closer.
However, just as he leaned closer—
Lan Shuyin's left hand, which had been hanging by her side, lashed out with lightning speed! The tactical pen, which had been quietly held in her palm, transformed into a streak of black light, piercing straight for the numb tendon in his elbow joint!
"Damn it! You're asking for it!"
The intense pain mixed with a strong tingling and numb sensation caused the other person to let out a twisted roar. He had clearly undergone rigorous training and did not completely lose control like an ordinary person. Instead, his ferocity was aroused, and his intact hand clenched into a fist, slamming it down towards Lan Shuyin's face with a whooshing sound!
However, the vicious punch did not land.
At the critical moment, Wu Yang suddenly leaped out of the pit and crashed into the guard's side like a cannonball!
Caught off guard, the man staggered from the selfless collision, and his fatal punch missed Lan Shuyin's cheek.
Wu Yang's face was ashen, but he managed to get up with his eyes closed, and countless soft but incredibly fast fists pounded haphazardly on the opponent's heavy tactical vest and the back of his neck.
It was less of an attack and more of a desperate attempt to bolster his courage. He cried out incoherently, "Bastards! You want to bury me! I'll fight you to the death!"
Finally, the other guard recovered from the sudden chaos. He cursed, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and decisively drew his military knife from his waist, aiming a slash at Wu Yang's back with clear killing intent!
Lan Shuyin immediately twisted her body and threw a heavy punch at the arm of the knife-wielder.
The man winced in pain, his blade veering off course, but he displayed superb close-quarters combat skills. He deftly deflected the force, dodging Lan Shuyin's subsequent barrage of punches, and delivered a heavy elbow strike like a hammer blow to her shoulder blade!
"Ugh!" Lan Shuyin groaned, half of her body went numb instantly, and she was knocked backward to the ground by the force.
The guard's face twisted with smug satisfaction. He raised his blade once more and approached Lan Shuyin, who had fallen to the ground, step by step, the blade aimed directly at her throat!
Just then—
"Bang!"
A dull yet incredibly loud metallic clang suddenly rang out!
The burly guard, who was about to deliver the fatal blow, suddenly jolted, his raised military knife frozen in place, and his eyes quickly became unfocused.
Clang!
His saber slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a thud, like an ancient tree that had been felled, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Behind his fallen figure, the handsome young man held an entrenching tool, still in the position after his swing.
The shovel head was still covered in mud and grass clippings.
"You..." Lan Shuyin was dumbfounded, staring at this sudden reversal, and didn't know how to react for a moment.
However, the young man did not give her a chance to ask questions.
He then swung his arm again.
With another "bang," he knocked the man who was angrily grabbing Wu Yang's neck unconscious with a shovel.
Two simple and brutal shovel strikes instantly plunged the previously tense and solemn mass grave into a comical yet eerie silence.
Wu Yang slumped to the ground, panting heavily, and nodded gratefully to him, "Thank you, thank you."
"This place is not safe to stay any longer. Let's leave first." The young man threw down the shovel, his tone calm, and reached out to pull Lan Shuyin, who was still sitting on the ground, to her feet.
His palm was warm and strong, and he let go of her hand in an instant.
...
Overgrown with weeds and strewn with pebbles, the narrow path became increasingly difficult to discern in the twilight.
The young man took the lead and walked at the forefront.
Lan Shuyin followed closely behind, clutching her shoulder which was still throbbing with pain. Every step she took aggravated the injury, but she gritted her teeth and didn't utter a sound.
Wu Yang carried the unconscious Chen Zigui on his back, walking at the very back with uneven steps. The heavy load made him pant heavily, and sweat almost blurred his vision.
As if sensing their predicament, the young man leading the way suddenly spoke up, "Hang in there a little longer, there's a place to rest up ahead."
A moment later, they arrived at a relatively flat and open ruin.
This area appears to be on the edge of an old village, with a few half-collapsed stone house frames scattered around.
Wu Yang carefully placed Chen Zigui on a pile of hay in the corner, then slid down against the broken wall, too tired to even move a finger.
Instead of resting immediately, the young man quickly gathered some dry branches and wood scraps around him and started a small campfire with a flint and steel.
The orange flames leaped up, dispelling some of the darkness and chill, and slightly calming their still-shaken emotions.
“We’re roughly in the southeast of the village now.” The young man poked at the fire, making it burn brighter.
He looked up at the indistinct mountain outlines and said with certainty, "If we go about a kilometer further from here, we should be able to avoid the main obstacles, get out of this area, and find the way down the mountain."
"You know the way?" Wu Yang looked up in surprise.
"To be honest, I heard some noise coming from your side when I was surveying the terrain nearby, so I went there to investigate." The young man patted the ashes off his hands, his demeanor calm and relaxed. "My original plan was to go directly to the ancestral hall deep in the village."
"Ancestral hall?" These two words piqued Wu Yang's curiosity, and he temporarily forgot his fatigue. "So what do you do? Are you also here for an adventure hike?"
Upon hearing this, the young man smiled faintly.
The firelight flickered in his shifting eyes, obscuring his true emotions. "I suppose so," he replied ambiguously.
Wu Yang, however, revealed a simple joy, "So we're kindred spirits."
The young man didn't reply, but turned his gaze to Lan Shuyin, who was silently stretching her shoulders. "That guy is a trained fighter. That elbow strike carried at least 80% of his strength. Although it won't break a bone, a bruise is inevitable."
As he spoke, he took out a plaster from the side pocket of his backpack and handed it to her, saying, "This medicine works well; it will make you feel more comfortable."
The patch looked simple, yet it exuded a faint, refreshing herbal scent.
Lan Shuyin raised her eyes and met his gaze.
His expression was natural and open, as if it were just a small favor.
Her shoulder was really sore, so she hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. "Thank you."
"Hey, by the way." At this moment, Wu Yang casually moved between the two and warmly extended his hand to the young man. "My name is Wu Yang, and the one lying down is Chen Zigui. What's your name, buddy?"
The young man readily extended his hand to shake his, saying, "My surname is Kui."
“Wei?” Wu Yang repeated subconsciously, the pronunciation drifting vaguely toward that sensitive surname.
Lan Shuyin's eyelids twitched.
“It is Kui.” The young man’s lips curled up slightly as he patiently corrected him, enunciating clearly, “Third tone. Single name, Li.”
“Kui…Li…” Wu Yang pondered the ancient-sounding name thoughtfully. “Which Kui is it?”
Lan Shuyin snapped out of her absurd association and subconsciously interjected, "Is it the 'Wei' in Wei Xiaobao's name?"
Unexpectedly, the young man turned his head to look at her, paused for half a second as if on purpose, and then slowly said, "Yes, stepmother."
"..."
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Lan Shuyin was startled, her heart skipped a beat, and her brain seemed to freeze as if struck by those two unexpected words.
However, seeing her face stiffen slightly, the other person seemed a little puzzled. "Isn't that right? I think I vaguely heard... your name is 'Xiao Ma'? The 'Xiao' in 'Xiao Xiang'?" He smiled apologetically. "Maybe we were a bit far apart, and I misheard."
It turns out... I just misheard.
Lan Shuyin's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself for overreacting, having heard such a terrifying ambiguity in a simple pronunciation.
She secretly exhaled, and quickly concealed her momentary loss of composure by adjusting the hem of her clothes.
When she looked up again, she smiled. "My surname is Lan. You can call me Sister Yin, just like he did."
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